Three charged with burglarizing Randall laundromat

Published May 3, 2013 at 3:13 pm

Three people were charged in Morrison County District Court with third degree burglary for the theft of money from the Busy Bee Laundromat in Randall. Sara Lynn Ballou, 22, Randall, and Alan Jon Brodeson, 23, Little Falls were charged April 26, and Dustin Dean Quirk, 21, Little Falls was charged April 30.

On April 9, law enforcement received a report the Busy Bee Laundromat had been burglarized. It appeared the locked portion of the business had been broken into and coins were taken from the change machine.

A surveillance video showed two males breaking into the building at about 2:30 a.m.

Law enforcement later received information on the names of the two men. It was also learned that the men, allegedly Quirk and Brodeson, took the coins and cashed them in at Grand Casino Mille Lacs.

A video tape provided by Grand Casino showed Quirk and Brodeson arriving at the Casino at 4:17 a.m. They were shown cashing in $427.75 worth of quarters.

Brodeson was arrested April 25, and allegedly agreed to give a statement. According to the criminal complaint, he said he and Quirk broke into the laundromat and Ballou assisted them as a lookout. The three later split the money.

Ballou gave a taped statement and allegedly denied any involvement at first. Later she admitted driving the other two to the casino, but then said she was drugged and did not remember much after that.

If convicted, each defendant faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison and/or a $10,000 fine.